STEINBACH, HENRY

STEINBACH, HENRY, a Prussian, was one of the many European adventurers who secured employment in the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his successors. Steinbach joined the Sikh infantry in 1836 as a battalion commander on a starting salary of Rs 600 per month, increased to Rs 800 by 1841. He was charged with training his battalion on the British model. From 1838 to 1841, Steinbach was posted at Peshawar.

In 1843, he fell a victim to the army panchayats` general dislike of European officers, and left Lahore the following year to take up service under Raja Gulab Singh. He remained in Jammu until 1851 when he was replaced by an Indian commander. Angry and humiliated, he returned to Europe. Steinbach was a man of literary taste and had command of the English language as well as of German. He wrote in English a book. The Punjaub, being a brief account of the country of the Sikhs, which was published in London in 1845.

References :

1. Grey, C., and Garrett, H.L.O., European Adventurers of Northern India. Lahore, 1929